Just a Dream

Every morning I wake up in the arms of the man I love. Sometimes we wake up alone, other times we wake up in the big massive puppy pile of bodies my family creates. But every morning a nagging presence of someone watching me followed me throughout the day. The most private moments revealed to this ghostly apparition.

Sometimes days go by and this presence isn't around. Days, where I can go about my day and the presence is gone. The missing apparition alarmed me, throwing me off-kilter more so than the days the presence was near.

Once I remember this fog surrounded me, I didn't do anything for weeks. I was lost in the fog but I had so many things to do. So I said hi to the ether - not expecting a response.

"Hi," came the response with almost as much alarm as I felt. 

I looked around the empty room - no people, no anything, just this voice. I was going crazy.

"Sorry I've been away," the voice sounded like it came from everywhere yet nowhere. I shouldn't be surprised by all this, I mean I live in a world where magic is everywhere - but this was new.

"Where did you go?" I asked curious about the response.

"Nowhere. not really. I was on some medication and it made me forget how to do things - important things like putting my car into drive."

I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, "Hell of a thing to forget."

"Tell me about it."

"So you are back now?"

"Back as usual. We can write your story."

"My what?" I was perplexed. My story?

"You are a fictional character. A figment of my imagination."

"What the fuck?" Somewhere in the midst of this conversation, I'd sat down on my bed and now I bolted upright looking around for some camera or someone to jump out and say haha I got you. The room was still empty - no person, no pattern, no camera. What the actual fuck?

"Sorry to bruise your mighty ego, but let's continue the story. Alex was about to kiss you."

"Hell, Alex kisses me all the time."

"That's the future you. The you you long for. We haven't gotten to that point yet."

"What?" I was confused now.

"See, we wrote a story, and we added a new character, he wasn't quite Alex. But you loved Alex. So we went back to the drawing board, removed your forward moment and started over. You've only met Alex. He's stalking you."

"Yeah, I know he did."

The voice laughed, and the whole room sorta vibrated with mirth. It was kinda cool actually. "So let's continue?"

"Uh... okay."

I was teleported back to a game of laser tag I distinctly remember playing. The kids all laughing until I rolled across the room shooting them. I was an excellent marksman. The rolls were unnecessary but it did make my team cheer with joy. But the lights came up and the game ended as the last opposing member fell to my laser bolt.

"Hey, that's not fair."

"Let's play again." Another kid said.

"Why don't you all play against me?" I suggested.

They all cheered.

And we started again. This time I had to take out Alex first, he would hear my thoughts. And I didn't think to block them out. But Alex came out of the shadows and pinned me against the wall. His knee pushed between my legs and he pressed his whole body against me. Alex kissed me. There was electricity between us. Sparks and chemistry. The world was a better place with Alex's lips against me. I was flying high. But the lights came up and I was left staring at the blinking light on my chest. Alex shot me!

I remembered the moment. It was like living deja vu all over again.

"I don't have any more time." The voice from above said. 

"What?" I stammered, but I was already back in my house and my family was gathered around the table waiting on me.

"Hey Nox!" Rider called out.

"Hey," I said still confused. What the fuck?

Ryan laughed, "He just found out he's not real."

Ant chuckled as he sat down in front of a bowl of salad, "I remember when Mom found out she was a character in some dame's head. She thought she was going off her rocker."

"You all knew?"

Hunter chuckled, "Yeah. It's not hard, but we don't all think we are real."

The images of my family faded. Each one winking out leaving me in silence. I stood in an empty place - worse than my nightmares.

"Don't worry." the voice called out. 

But I was already going to that place. That fucking place where my dreams took me. 

I was drowning in the blackness, but as soon as I thought I had control things started to come into focus. My world around me came to life. The patterns filled the world, and I could control everything. "We are in a dream. Tell me a story."

"How?. I'm not asleep."

"I am."

I was a master of this world. But I was just a fiction. I wasn't real. "You are real to me. Tell me a story Nox."

"Where did we leave off?" I asked this was all so confusing.

"You and Alex were normal, you were in school learning to be a chef, Alex was running a club you went to often." 

I smiled at the common dream. We'd shared it often. The dream played on. The world fell away to the light of morning, and I was once again waking up in Alex's arms. As I always had done, and I will always continue to do.